UN nuclear agency's board votes to censure Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the watchdog
Diplomats say the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s board has censured Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency
VIENNA (AP) — The U.N. nuclear watchdog's board on Wednesday censured Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency, diplomats said, calling on Tehran to provide answers in a long-running investigation and reverse its decision to bar several experienced U.N. inspectors.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a late-night statement in response to the vote, saying it “strongly condemns” the action taken by the IAEA’s board of governors and called the move political.
The censure followed a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency a week ago that said Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, the latest in Tehran’s attempts to steadily exert pressure on the international community.
The vote by the 35-member board at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna sets the stage for a likely further escalation of tensions between the agency and Iran, which has reacted strongly to similar previous resolutions.
